It isn’t just you — Denver is looking gross and hazy this warm Thursday afternoon.
Looking outside Denverite’s Uptown office windows, the sun has been blotted out by a light smoke, painting the city a sickly grey.
State health officials said the bulk of the smoke is coming from two fires burning in Nebraska: the Ashby fire and the Minor fire. Meanwhile, smoke from the 24 Fire near Penrose was blowing into the area early Thursday morning.
It's leading to a surge of concerned calls to local authorities.
"South Metro Dispatch is receiving an influx of 911 calls reporting smoke in SMFR’s District. Wildfires burning in Nebraska are creating a significant haze in the Denver metro area. Please only call 911 if you see flames," posted South Metro Fire Rescue, which is based in Centennial.
State data shows air quality is at moderate levels for the Denver metro. While that doesn’t come with any public health advisories, people who are sensitive to smoke may want to stay indoors and limit outside activities.
According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, prolonged periods of heavy smoke are not expected.
